Fallen Heroes
by waikiki23
Summary: **My re-write of the episode Extreme Prejudice** A hero is a person who, in the opinion of others, are courageous and bold or have performed a heroic act. They didn't regard themselves as heroes, especially since they were in the building when the bomb went off. But to all around, they were still heroes, though they fell that fateful day.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N - Okay, so I decided to write a whumpage story. I was watching **_**Extreme Prejudice **_**again, and thought how easy the whole team had gotten off. I mean, come on, Tim was in the squad room when the bomb went off, Abby and Gibbs were in the lab, right next to the bomb as well and Ziva and Tony were in an elevator for God's sake . So, I knew I had to write this story. Some of the lines are from the episode, but I am just using them as a baseline for this chapter, no copyright infringement intended. Please read and review.**_

"McGee! Get out! Now!" Director Vance yelled at Tim from up near MTAC. He was heading to the exit at the back of the building, where his body guards were waiting to take him to safety.

"Just one second Director!" Tim yelled back, plugging his USB stick in and typing a few commands into his computer. His pulse quickened as he realized just how close in proximity he was to the bomb. "Come on, come on, come on!" he whispered, urging the computer to finish transferring the files on Harper Dearing faster.

He glanced up, checking his watch and mentally counting to make sure everyone on their floor was getting out of the office safely. He was still counting when there was beep from his computer. He looked down to see that all the files had transferred successfully.

Tim yanked the USB stick from his computer and tossed it in his backpack, along with a few hard copies of the case that were on his desk. He clipped his badge back on his belt and slid his gun into his pack, zipping it up quickly.

He had just grabbed his pack from his chair, turning and running for the stairs when he heard the bomb explode. It seemed like time went into slow motion as he felt the force of the blast hit him head on, throwing him backwards onto the floor, his backpack flying up in the air before landing on top of him. The windows shattered at the same time, peppering his skin with shards of glass, some embedding in his exposed skin.

His last thought before he lost consciousness was a prayer that the rest of the team was okay.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

"Get out of here."

Gibbs just stared, dumbfounded at Cole when he said those words. They had just found the massive bomb that Dearing had placed in Vance's car, and this convicted felon was telling him to leave him with the bomb.

"Its too close to the building," Cole stated, as they both glanced over to see Abby stuffing a few things into her bag in the lab.

Cole looked back to Gibbs when he added, "Go! Get her out of here."

Gibbs glanced back to Cole, unsure of his true motives. Cole let out a small laugh before saying, "It's not the danger. It's the fun."

He handed his knife to Cole, knowing that he was making the right decision. Cole nodded at him, accepting the knife given him. In his gut, he knew Cole had redeemed himself, the former Phantom operative willing to give his life to try to save the agents in the building.

Gibbs gave Cole a small smile of approval before he lost no time racing into the building to get to Abby's lab. His mind was racing as he was running down the stairs, praying that his kids would be okay. He knew Ziva and Tony were on the second floor, evacuating the offices. He was hoping Tim was outside, but figured that the kid was saving his files from his computer for the investigation. He also prayed that Cole would get the bomb deactivated in time, but knew in his heart that it wasn't going to happen.

He made it to the floor Abby's lab was on and ran as fast as he could, making it in seconds to the lab. He saw Abby coming out of her office, CafPow and Bert in one arm and her purse in the other.

"Abby!" he yelled, tackling the forensic scientist to the floor near her computer.

"Gibbs!" she yelled back in surprise as she was thrown to the floor by the father figure in her life. It was less than a second later that the bomb exploded.

He tried to shield Abby the best he could, but couldn't stop the glass from raining down on them. He grunted when he felt one of the shelving units topple over and land on Abby and himself as the dust began to settle in the lab.

His ears were ringing as he shoved the shelving unit over to the side before he rolled off Abby and looked at her, seeing that she was unconscious, blood trickling down from her forehead, her right arm lying in an unnatural angle. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his head and leg shot though him, causing his vision to dim, his lights going out completely as he passed out next to Abby.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*

"Everybody out! Get away from the building!" Ziva ordered, opening office doors and getting people headed toward the staircase at the end of the hall.

"Alright, that's everybody. You go Ziva," Tony told her as he kindly pushed one of the office workers towards the exit. He intended to do one last sweep of the floor, hoping to make sure everyone survived the blast that would be going off.

Ziva, however, had a different idea. She grabbed his wrist before saying, "No, I am not going without you."

They raced for the stairs, but they were blocked by agents and office workers rushing to get out of the building before the bomb detonated.

"Lets take the elevator," Ziva said, getting into the empty car, pulling Tony in as the doors closed.

"Do you think they all got out?" she asked, glancing at her partner, worry and, for the first time in her life, fear showing in her dark brown eyes. They both knew that elevator was not a great idea, but they were hoping to get out in time so they could continue helping everyone out of the building from the first floor.

Tony sighed before saying, "I hope so. Knowing McGee, he would have stayed in the bullpen to copy all the info we have on Dearing before leaving the building. I know Boss got Abby out in time."

A moment later, they felt the blast of the bomb, which rocked the elevator car, casing debris to rain down on top. The lights went off as the car free fell to the first floor, before landing on top of more debris.

Neither passenger were conscious, having been thrown against the wall before landing heavily on the floor. As the car settled on the debris, it remained eerily quiet, the only thing heard was the soft breathing of the unconscious agents.

**a/n - Okay, so do you guys like this? Should I keep going? I hope so, because chapter 2 should be uploaded in a few days.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N - Thank you to all who reviewed! I am so glad you all liked my first chapter. I did kind of twist a few lines from the episode to fit my story, but again, no copyright infringement is intended. I appreciate all the kind reviews and hope they continue coming in. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**_

Leon Vance made his way to the front of the NCIS building, dreading what he would see. After he had ordered McGee out of the building, he had made his way to the back entrance. He had just walked outside when he felt the bomb explode. His body guards had pushed him to the ground, covering him with their bodies, willing to sacrifice their lives to save him, if need be

He reached the front, appalled at the destruction that he was seeing. He slowly walked around, murmuring condolences and sympathy toward all the agents and office workers who were making their way away from the building.

When he saw his car, he froze, the color draining from his face. He watched a paramedic lay a yellow blanket over Cole's body. It hit him in that moment that Gibbs was not there. The team leader must have left Cole with the bomb. That meant only one thing, he and his team had to still be in the building.

Vance walked toward his car, wanting to get a better look when he saw the SecNav coming his way. "Director, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Vance responded listlessly, still looking around at the massive destruction around him.

Jarvis knew that Leon Vance was anything but fine, but he let it drop for the moment. "Okay. Casualties?"

Vance looked back at his long-time friend. "Too many."

"The president has been briefed." When Vance looked away again, he asked, "What is it Leon?"

"It was my car."

The look in Vance's face and eyes had the SecNav leading the director by the arm to a semi-private location and there sat him down on a bench. "It was my car, Mr. Secretary."

"For right now, that is the least of our worries, Leon. The FBI and other agencies are coming in, to make it a joint effort. We won't let Dearing get away with this. No one and I mean no one does this to the United States Navy and gets away with it."

"Thank you, Mr. Secretary," Vance replied, glancing at Jarvis. "I have to find my people."

"Your people?"

Vance stood up and looked around again. "Gibbs and his team. I haven't seen any of them since I have been out here. They were heading up the evacuation. I have to find them."

Jarvis stood away from Vance. "Find your people. Then I want this son of a bitch."

Vance glanced back, "You and me both, Mr. Secretary, you and me both." He made sure first that the building was sound before he headed into the building to find his friends

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

Ziva opened her eyes slightly, alarmed when she couldn't see anything. It took her addled mind a moment to register that there were no lights on where she was laying. She coughed and tried to sit up, but pressure on her chest was keeping her down.

She took in as deep of a breath as she could, forcing her mind to calm down and think through what was going on. She tried to push away what was holding her down, but realized that it was futile. She couldn't be sure, but it felt like it was a piece of the roof that was laying on her chest. The memory of her and Tony entering the elevator before the bomb went off had her looking around frantically.

"Tony?" It terrified her that he didn't respond to her. "Tony!" she tried again. He still did not respond to her.

She could just barely make out a form lying a few inches from her. She realized that it was Tony, unconscious.

She reached out, finding hi neck and feeling for a pulse. She was relieved to find one, letting out the breath she had been holding. She felt a little lower and grabbed his hand, hoping that maybe some contact would help him wake up.

She heard a strange noise, then it hit her. It was a cell phone, probably hers. She knew that the bombing at the Navy Yard would make the news around the globe and figured her father would try to call her. She was surprised that her phone managed to survive the destruction of the elevator car.

Ziva tried to find the errant phone, but didn't have any luck. She figured it was buried underneath the same debris that was holding her down. The ringing continued for another minute or two before she heard another noise. She saw a faint glow just beyond Tony's body and realized that it was now Tony's cell phone ringing.

She strained to reach it, but was frustrated when she couldn't. She slammed her fist down in frustration, tears stinging her eyes.

She felt first rather than hearing the debris shifting. She let out a frightened scream when the shifting caused the car to shake and settle more into the rubble of the elevator shaft. The piece of roof that was holding her down shifted off, causing more pain than she had ever felt before.

What she saw once the debris was off terrified her. A piece of metal from the ceiling of the elevator car had impaled itself in the right side of her chest.

Ziva cried out in pain again before she lost consciousness once more.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

Abby opened her eyes, feeling something warm and sticky flowing into her right eye. She raised her arm up to wipe whatever it was out and cried out in pain. White hot pain flared in her right arm, making her realize that her arm was probably broken.

She caught her breath before looking around her as best as she could. When she saw Gibbs lying next to her, unconscious, she rolled to her left, and sat up carefully, making sure to not jostle her broken arm.

"Gibbs?" When she didn't get an answer, she scooted as close to her mentor as she could. "Gibbs?" she tried again.

The team leader still did not stir. Abby noticed that he had many cuts, the memory of the windows in her lab exploding into tiny shards and raining down on them fresh in her mind. She also saw bruising that was beginning to form over the right side of Gibb's face, his eye swollen shut. She could see something in his right ear and leaned in as best as she could to see what it was. She was horrified when she saw blood leaking out of his ear.

Abby knew she had to get her father figure out of the building so she could get him help. She carefully got to her feet, seeing how much the bomb destroyed her lab. She looked around for anything she could use as a splint for her arm. She found tape and a few magazines scattered around her desk, rolling the magazine around her arm before taping it into place. She then took her lab coat off and fashioned a make-shift sling out of it, sliding her arm into it.

It was then she heard a strange noise coming from where she had left Gibbs lying. She went back as fast as she could, dizziness threatening to overtake her.

She stumbled around the table that her computer was on and froze. The senior agent, who was still unconscious, was in the throes of a massive seizure.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N - I am so glad you all are liking my story so far. I think we all agree that the episode did not go as we all thought. The reviews help keep my muse writing. So, please don't hate me for what you are about to read. I just like a lot of twists and turns. I am hoping to get to at least 75 reviews, as I don't think I have ever had that many. So please read and review.**_

"Gibbs!" Abby screamed, stumbling forward, landing on her good hand and knees next to her convulsing friend. She had only seen someone have a seizure once, when she was a child. It wasn't a pleasant experience at the time and it was only more terrifying now because she knew the person having the seizure.

In what seemed like forever to Abby, but in reality was only a minute later, Gibbs stopped seizing, his head falling to the side, turned away from Abby. She began checking the man as best as she could one handed. She could feel his heart beat in his neck, slow and faint, but there. His breathing was a little too shallow, but there was not much she could do at the moment.

She was so worried about the blood in his ear, knowing that the blast did quite a bit of damage, but the shelf did the most. Knowing Gibbs, he made sure it didn't hurt her as much, taking the brunt of the force so his surrogate daughter was spared.

She could see that the bruising was becoming more profound on his face, the colors spreading to his cheek and jaw. Thankfully the cuts from the shards of glass were not as deep in his face. The rest of his body didn't fare as well. She could see that his leg was at an abnormal angle, blood pouring out of the wound where a large piece of glass was embedded. She could also see the bone sticking out of his left ring finger, unsure how he got that injury.

What Abby didn't know was that she was sporting a few deep cuts herself, one of the larger ones in her forehead. She also had a piece of glass that had pierced her neck and was embedded near her carotid artery. Adrenaline was keeping her pain at bay, so she was oblivious to the danger she was currently in.

Abby looked around her lab again, trying to find anything that she could use to stop the bleeding in Gibbs' leg. This time she came up with towels that were near major maspec. She grabbed them and awkwardly placed one around Gibbs' hand and another around the glass shard. She held the rag carefully on his leg, hissing in pain when she momentarily forgot about her arm and tried to use it. The stars dancing in her line of sight caused her to carefully maneuver her arm back into the sling before going back to holding the pressure on his leg.

It was that moment she realized that Gibbs had stopped breathing.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

Vance made his way into the building, a smoky haze filling the rooms as the dust was settling. He stopped when he reached the staircase in the front entrance of the building. He made his ultimate decision and headed up, to check the MCRT floor, since McGee was the last person he saw before leaving.

He jogged up the three flights of stairs to the floor. He entered, his face crestfallen when he saw how much damage the floor sustained. All the windows were blown in, shards littering the whole floor. Insulation was hanging from the ceiling, papers scattered on the floor with the glass.

He felt the glass crunching under shoes as he walked around the wreckage. He saw bodies, too many for his liking. Too many that he knew would not be going home to loved ones. His anger at Dearing threatened to overtake him, but he pushed it behind him. He would have time later to grieve for the friends and colleagues that were lost to the madman's bomb.

When he made it to where Gibbs' team worked, his blood ran cold. A still form was lying face down near DiNozzo's desk, backpack leaning against him. He saw the pool of blood underneath the body, and could see that he was faintly breathing.

Vance hurried over and kneeled down, carefully turning McGee over onto his back. The man whom he had just ordered out of the building was now lying in the bullpen, unconscious.

"Tim?" Vance asked, hoping to get a response. One didn't come, instead Tim's head lolled to the side, his eyes remaining closed.

Vance began checking over the agent, horrified when he saw the shard of glass that was in the man's side, blood still running out of the wound. He looked around, seeing a coat lying near Gibbs's desk. He grabbed it and very carefully wrapped it around the glass so as to not disturb it. He didn't want to cause Tim any more problems than he already had. Vance was especially worried about blast injuries, since the squad room was so close to the detonation of the bomb, and he had no idea how far McGee was thrown.

It wasn't long before emerald green eyes were looking up at Vance as Tim regained consciousness.

"Director?" Tim's mouth was dry, probably from all the dust he had been breathing in since the explosion occurred. He wanted so bad to ask about the team, how everyone was. He just couldn't get it out.

Judging by the look in Tim's eyes, he knew what the injured man wanted to know. "I don't know Tim. As soon as I get you on your way to the hospital, I'm going to look for the others."

Tim's eyes wandered around the room, widening when he saw the damage to the squad room. His gaze rested back squarely on the director. Vance was putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Paramedics are on their way Tim," Vance said, watching the injured man. He put a hand on McGee's shoulder. "We will get that son of a bitch. I swear to you and the rest of the team. We'll get him."

Tim nodded, reaching up to also pat the director on his shoulder. Tim knew the director had been through hell for the past, well, he wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed. But he knew Director Vance had been through hell and back. Tim laid his uninjured arm back down, taking a moment to close his eyes.

Vance watched the agent close his eyes in exhaustion, alarm bells beginning to ring in the back of Vance's mind It didn't dawn on him right away, but when it did, it hit him like a tone of bricks.

Tim wasn't moving his legs.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

Tony cracked opened his eyes, looking around the elevator, not really sure of where he was and why he was on the ground. He vaguely remembered getting in the elevator, but after that it was a complete blank.

He could taste the dust falling, still settling in the car as his eyes began to adjust slightly to the darkness he was enveloped in. His head felt like it could split open at any moment, his stomach hurt so bad he wanted to curl into the fetal position and his right leg felt like someone was stabbing it over and over.

His thought were all jumbled. He remembered they were after Harper Dearing, who had been terrorizing Navy warships and kidnapped the director. When his mind began putting two and two together, he frantically looked around. "Ziva?"

When he didn't get a response, he began feeling with his hands around him. Finally he felt something soft, realizing that it was his friend. He nudged her, asking again, "Ziva?"

He heard her moan this time, a sure sign that she was alive. He felt her arm move and he reached down and grabbed her hand, squeezing it as tight as he could, to let her know he was there.

"Tony?" her faint voice sounded like music to his ears as she squeezed his hand back.

He let out the sigh of relief he had been holding in. "Yeah. Are you okay Ziva?"

"As okay as I can be. How are you doing?" she asked, turning her head as best as she could to look at Tony. He obviously hadn't seen the piece of metal impaled in her chest or heard the pain in her voice. She was okay with that, as she was more concerned about him, since he had been unconscious the longest.

"Like I've had the worst ride on that Tower of Terror ride at Disney World," Tony replied, trying to make light of the situation.

Ziva looked at her partner in confusion. "Tower of Terror?"

"It's a ride at the Hollywood Studios park. Simulates an elevator ride from hell."

"Never heard of it," she replied, glancing around the area they were currently trapped in. "Do you think they'll find us?"

"They will. Don't worry," Tony replied, looking back over to Ziva. It was then his mind registered what he was seeing. Ziva was lying on her back, a piece of metal stabbed into her chest. Tony could see that it was still attached to part of the ceiling and it looked like it had embedded in the ground underneath Ziva.

Tony's nausea ratcheted up to an all time high. He gagged before he curled on his side and began to throw up violently.

"Tony?" Ziva asked, her senses on high alert . When the vomiting continued, Ziva's panic hit an all time high. "Tony?"

Tony never responded, the vomiting subsiding before his head exploded in pain, causing Tony to slip back into unconsciousness. A few stray tears fell as she weakly tried to reach out to her friend.

Her subtle move was enough to cause the piece of metal to tear at her already tortured flesh. She let out a small cry before she too slipped into the welcomed darkness of unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N - Wow, thanks to all who reviewed on the last chapter. To the person who signed in a guest, your review helped me write this chapter. Yes, everyone is in danger, but I do not like death fics. I may read them, but I do not like writing them. So, to all you who sent me reviews, this chapter is for you.**_

Jimmy was trying to finish packing his clothes, Brenna sitting on the bed helping him, when his phone rang. He grabbed his cell off the table, frowning when he saw the familiar Washington number.

"Palmer."

"_Dr. Palmer, we have a situation at the Navy Yard," _the voice on the other end said. Jimmy recognized the voice of the director's secretary.

Brenna became concerned when Jimmy's eyes widened. "What?" she mouthed.

He held his finger up to her before continuing, "What kind of situation, ma'am?"

"_The NCIS building has been bombed. It was Dearing. We are going to need you and Doctor Mallard back as soon as possible. I called Doctor Mallard, but he hung up on me. How fast can you be back in Washington?"_

Jimmy began throwing the rest of his belongings in the bag as he said, "Doctor Mallard and I will be there as soon as we can. I'll get him and we'll try to be on the next flight out."

"_I understand. Please call us and let us know when you are on the plane."_

"I will. I'm guessing Dr. Mallard told you to make sure not to disturb the ones that were deceased, right?" Jimmy asked, whirling around when he heard Brenna gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. He sat next to her and pulled her into a hug.

"He did. The notice has gone out already. We will be waiting," the secretary then hung up the phone.

Jimmy turned to look into his wife's eyes. "I know. You need to go," she said, looking up at him.

He pulled her tighter into his arms as he said, "The NCIS building was bombed. I need to try to call everyone. I have to find Dr. Mallard…" Brenna didn't let him continue, as she put her finger on his lips.

"You start calling, I'll go find Ducky," Brenna said.

Jimmy smiled and kissed his bride again, letting her go. "Thank you."

"You know I would do anything for you, Jimmy. I love you," she said, grabbing her phone and heading out the door.

Jimmy started by trying to contact Tim. He finished throwing clothes into his suitcase as the phone rang. When it went to voice mail, he left a brief message. "Tim, its me, Jimmy. I heard about the bombing. Dr. Mallard and I are going to be on a plane in an hour or so. Call me when you get this to let me know you're okay."

He hit the end button, dialing Tony's phone next. When it went to voicemail as well, worry began to creep into the back of his mind. He left the same message on Tony's voice mail as he did on Tim's.

He was zipping up his suitcase when he tried Ziva. His hands began to shake when instead of ringing, it went straight to voicemail. He again left the same message and hung up.

"Why are you guys not answering my phone calls?" he asked himself, sitting down on the bed once more.

He then dialed Abby and was relived when the phone picked up on the third ring. "Abby?! Its Jimmy!"

"_Jimmy? I don't have time to talk! Gibbs is hurt bad and he's not breathing and I have to try to get him out of the lab and I don't know what to do and I'm so scared…"_

"Abby! Calm down! Wait! What the hell is wrong with Gibbs? Do you have someone doing rescue breathing on him?" Jimmy asked, full blown panic hitting him, realizing that at least one of the team was confirmed injured.

"_I'm sorry Jimmy. I'm trying. He has a huge piece of glass in his leg and its broken. He has a bad head injury and he already had a seizure…wait." _Jimmy heard the phone clatter to the floor as Abby yelled to someone else in the background.

"_I need help Director! I am doing rescue breathing as much as I can, but my broken arm isn't letting me do a good job." _Jimmy's heart leaped into his throat; so Abby was injured too. He clutched the phone tighter when he heard the director yelling, _"Come on Gibbs! You do not have permission to die! Do you hear me? It's my turn to give you that order!" _

The color in Jimmy's face drained as he heard, _"You are not allowed to die!" _

"Oh my God," Jimmy breathed out as Abby came back on line. _"Jimmy, I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I'll call you later."_

He turned the phone off when he heard the phone click, Abby hanging up on him. He had just put his tux back in the bag when his phone rang again. He was so glad to see Brenna's face come up on the caller id.

"Brenna, I'm about packed. Is Dr. Mallard ready?"

When she didn't respond right away, he asked, "Brenna?"

"_Jimmy, its Ducky."_

Jimmy again clutched the phone in his hand, grabbing his keys. "What happened Bree?"

"_Ducky had a heart attack."_

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

Tim opened his eyes again to see Vance still kneeling next to him. "You have to go find them Director," he said, causing the director to glance down at him. Tim was worried sick about the rest of the team, especially since Gibbs hadn't moved heaven and earth to get him. It hit him then that Gibbs must have been injured as well. He didn't like where his mind was going with the thoughts he was stringing together.

"I'm going to stay with you until the paramedics get you out of here McGee," Vance replied, patting the agent on the shoulder. He felt McGee stiffen, the young man glancing back up at him.

"Director, what's wrong with me? Why can't I move my legs?" Tim asked, panic beginning to cloud his emerald green eyes. Tim had tried with all his might to move, but only succeeded in moving his arms and head. Vance glanced away, not wanting the younger agent to see the worry and truth in in his own eyes.

"I don't know McGee. But you have to fight, you hear me son?" Vance asked, glancing up when two paramedics jogged up to them.

"I hear you director," Tim replied, watching as the paramedics kneeled on either side of him.

"Hey, my name is Scott and this is my partner Alex. We are going to move fast to get you out of here," Scott said, checking Tim's head and neck for injuries. Alex was checking to make sure the piece of glass in Tim's side had not shifted.

Vance stood up to give the paramedics room to work. "Please take care of him."

"We are, we promise," Alex assured the nervous director. "Were you the one to find him?"

"Yeah I was. I turned him over because I wasn't sure if he was breathing or not." Vance paused for a moment before adding, "He says he can't feel his legs."

The two paramedics exchanged a meaningful glance before they went back to work on Tim.

"Yeah, I can't feel them and I don't know why," Tim replied, a scared tremor entering his voice as the medics continued working on him.

"Were you unconscious?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, for a little while, I guess," Tim responded, watching as Scott grabbed a neck brace from his pack and fasten it around his neck. Tim groaned when Alex positioned a backboard next to him.

"You've had to be on a back board before?" Alex asked, hoping to keep the injured man's focus off his injuries.

"Yeah. Twice," Tim replied, looking up at Scott and Alex, the two men getting in position to log roll Tim onto the board. Tim cried out in pain as they turned him on his uninjured side, sliding the board under him, then carefully laying him back on the board.

"What happened?" Scott asked as he strapped Tim to the board.

"First time I was 16, hit a bus with my brand new car, was in traction for a month."

"Oh, not good. What about the second time?" Scott asked as Alex pulled out what he needed to start an IV.

"I fell out of a second story window on a case," Tim replied, wincing as the needle for the IV was inserted into his vein.

Scott positioned the oxygen mask over Tim's face as Alex said, "That sucks. Okay Scott, I think we're ready to move."

Vance, who had been silent while the paramedics were treating Tim, squatted down so he could look at the young agent. "I'll check on you as soon as I find the rest of the team," Vance told Tim as the paramedics lifted the young man up and carried him out of the building.

Vance took a deep cleansing breath, grabbing McGee's pack off the floor, before he headed back to the staircase. His worry was already through the roof with Tim's injuries, but not knowing about the others was skyrocketing his blood pressure. As he passed the main floor and started down towards the basement, the destruction was not as bad as the in the squad room he had just left, but it was still bad.

Once he made it down the stairs, he still had to climb over debris that had been shaken from the ceilings. Thankfully there were no bodies; David and DiNozzo must have gotten everyone out. As he made his way down the corridor, he wondered where the two agents were.

Vance had just made it to the door of the lab when he heard Abby rapidly talking to someone. "He has a head injury and he already had a seizure." Vance entered the lab, seeing his senior agent on the floor and the forensic scientist in a makeshift sling, leaning over him on her cell. She looked up into his eyes saying into the phone, "Wait."

The red phone dropped out of her hand and fell to the floor as she began talking a mile a minute, "I need help Director! I am doing rescue breathing as much as I can, but my broken arm isn't letting me do a good job."

Vance nodded, dropping McGee's pack to the floor before rushing over and kneeling next to the prone agent. He was horrified by the amount of bruising to his face as he began rescue breathing. "Come on Gibbs! You do not have permission to die! Do you hear me? It's my turn to give you that order!" He pushed two more breaths into Gibbs lungs before adding, "You are not allowed to die!"

He saw Abby grab her phone as he continued mouth to mouth. "Jimmy, I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I'll call you later." She closed the phone, dropping it onto one of the tables nearby. Abby then slid to the floor next to Gibbs, wringing her hands as Vance checked the unconscious agent.

Vance let out a sigh of relief, glancing over at the forensic scientist. "He's breathing on his own again," he said, rocking back onto his heels. It was then he noticed that Abby's eyes were wide with fear as they locked on McGee's pack that he had dropped to the floor.

"Oh God, that's Tim's pack. Where is he Director?" Abby asked Vance, turning her wide eyes to him.

"He's on his way to the hospital. He was the first one I found. I haven't found Tony or Ziva yet," Vance replied, kneeling in front of Abby. He checked her arm, to make sure it was splinted well and in the sling so she couldn't hurt herself anymore.

He was about to help her stand up when something glinted in her neck. His blood pressure again shot through the roof when he realized the scientist had piece of glass from the window embedded in her neck.

"Abby, I need you to listen to me. Don't make any sudden moves, okay?"

"Why?" she asked confused as the director began looking around the room.

He sighed before responding, "You have a piece of glass in your neck." Abby's good hand shot up instantly to her neck, Vance intervening before she could do any more damage. "No, don't touch. Just lay back."

Abby nodded as Vance helped her to carefully lay on her back. She looked back over at Gibbs as Vance grabbed his cell phone again, calling for help. He had just put his phone back in his pocket when Abby's eyes widened in shock.

Vance was shocked himself when blood began squirting from the wound in Abby's neck. He realized that the glass shard must have shifted when she turned to look at her surrogate father and nicked her carotid artery. He grabbed a few cloths and held pressure as tight as he could as Abby's eyes fluttered before actions altogether.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N - Thank you so much to all who have been reviewing! I am so glad you all have been enjoying my story. I decided that since I was going all out with this story that I would drag some of the team's family along for the ride. I thought it would be an interesting angle, so I hope you like it.**_

Admiral George McGee was in his office with his aid when his secretary called him. "Yes Maggie?"

"_Admiral, I am sorry to bother you, but your wife is on the phone. She said it was vital she talked to you."_

"Its okay Maggie, go ahead and put her through," the Admiral said, motioning for his aid to step out of the room for a moment. He picked the phone up, "Hi Karen."

"_George?" _Karen McGee's voice sounded stressed, more stressed than the Admiral had ever heard.

"Karen, what's wrong?" he asked, gripping the phone tightly. His gut was telling him that something was wrong.

"_Have you seen the news?"_

"No, why? What's wrong?"

"_The NCIS building on the Navy Yard was bombed about an hour or so ago, George! Our son was at work today. I tried calling him, but I can't reach him! I'm worried about Tim, George," _Karen fairly yelled, still watching the news while talking to her husband.

"Karen calm down. I'll make some calls and get back with you, okay honey?" George asked, motioning for his aid to come back into the room.

"_Okay, George. Please find out about our son," _Karen replied, hanging her phone up.

Admiral McGee put the receiver down before looking at his aid. "Barton, have you received any new notices?"

Barton shook his head, "No sir. Why?"

The Admiral started typing on his computer. "I just got a frantic call from my wife, who was watching the news. She said the NCIS building on the Navy Yard was bombed. We need to find out what happened."

"Yes sir," the young aid responded before being dismissed.

Admiral McGee put his head in his hands. He and Tim had been talking on an off for year or so. He wanted to believe that they were mending the relationship that had been broken so many years ago. He pulled his cell phone out, aware that his wife had tried it already, but he dialed his son's number anyway.

When it went straight to voicemail, he decided to leave a message for his son. "Tim, its me. Your mom called me and told me about the bombing. She is so worried about you. And so am I. I know you are busy at the moment, but please call us both as soon as you get a chance. I..I love you son."

The Admiral dropped his phone to his desk before burying his head in his hands again, the normally stoic man beginning to lose his grip on his emotions as a few tears fell.

"Please call me son. Please," he whispered, praying his phone would ring.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

Jackson Gibbs opened the door to his home, tossing his keys to the side table and shut the door behind him. He slowly made is way into the living room, turning his TV on before he went into his kitchen to make something for dinner.

He had just put a frozen dinner in the microwave and had turned the machine on when he heard something on the news that caught his attention. He hurried back into the living room, sitting down heavily when the news flash crossed the screen again.

"_The NCIS building at the Navy Yard in Washington DC was bombed around 3:30 this afternoon. As of right now, there are thirty confirmed dead and at least a hundred were injured. Workers are still inside, searching for survivors."_

"Oh my God," Jackson said under his watched as firemen were watering down the still smoking building, others pulling burnt rubble away from the building so it could smolder out.

Seeing the smoking ruins of the NCIS building that had been to many times, caused his heart to begin to race. He knew the news sensationalized stories to some degree, but just the sheer destruction of the outside of the building, he knew that was very real.

His hands shook as he grabbed his phone, trying to dial his son's number. They were shaking so bad that he had to re-enter it twice. Finally he heard it ring once before it went straight to voicemail.

"Leroy, this is your father. I just saw the news, wanted to make sure you were okay. Son, please call me as soon as you get this message, please. I love you, son," Jackson finished the message, ending the call. Tears fell down the older man's face, as he continued to watch the news, hoping to see a glimpse of his son, his dinner in the microwave forgotten.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS

Vance was at Abby's side in an instant, rags in hand as he moved as fast as lightening to hold pressure to her carotid artery. Her eyes were wide, shock beginning to sink in quickly as blood was beginning to pool below her. She began to breathe rapidly, unable to draw in a deep breath.

"Stay calm for me Abby. Take slow, deep breaths." He watched as she tried to breathe deeper, but couldn't seem to. She flicked her eyes towards Gibbs, the question forming in her dark eyes.

"I don't know Abby. All we can do is get him to the hospital. You need the same thing," he replied, answering her unspoken question.

"I'm scared," she said quietly, catching Vance off guard.

He patted her shoulder with his free hand, mustering up the most convincing smile he could. "I know. I am too Abby."

Vance glanced up quickly when he heard movement outside the lab door. He gave a small smile when he recognized Scott and Alex as they rushed through the lab door with their gear and a backboard.

"Director. You do get around. What do we have?" Alex asked as the two paramedics worked their way into the lab to where Gibbs, Abby and Vance were.

"Ms. Sciuto here has a piece of glass embedded in her neck. I'm not sure but I think it nicked her carotid artery. Blood sprayed everywhere until I was able to get some rags in there to stop the flow of blood," Vance replied as Alex checked Abby's arm before moving up to look at her neck wound. Abby's wide, panicked eyes were watching the medic leaning over her.

"What about this one?" Scott asked, checking Gibbs' hand before examining the large piece of glass in his leg.

"That's Agent Gibbs. I just got here a few minutes ago myself. According to Abby here, he had a seizure before he stopped breathing. I got here when she was trying to do mouth to mouth. I took over and a moment later, he started breathing again. Apparently he has not regained consciousness since the explosion," Vance said, watching as Alex started an IV on Abby.

"Hey Alex. We need to get another team down here so we can get these two transported. Its going to take both of us to just get one out," Scott said, sliding an oxygen mask over Gibbs' bruised face. He started the oxygen flow before he started an IV on the unconscious agent.

"I know. Let me call one down here so we can transport these two," Alex said, pulling his walkie-talkie out. Vance turned to look at Scott while Alex called for back-up.

"How's he doing?" Vance asked, watching as Scott placed a neck brace on Gibbs.

"He's hanging in there so far," Scott replied, glancing up at the Director. He could tell Vance was not in a good way at the moment. Scott had counted three people so far that the Director had found, apparently all friends of his and all with some sort of life threatening injuries. How long he could keep going, Scott wasn't sure. He then looked over at his partner. "How long?"

"Two minutes," Alex replied, carefully removing Abby's temporary splints that she had fashioned to put a more stable one on her broken arm.

Vance glanced back again when the second medic team made their way into the room, kneeling next to Gibbs. "What have we got?"

"Nicked artery, broken arm on the right, head injury and broken leg and hand on the left. We'll take the artery, you guys handle the head injury," Alex ordered as his partner left Gibbs side to switch to Abby's.

Scott looked over at Vance, "Okay Director, we are going to put Abby on the backboard, then you and I are going to switch positions so I can hold the pressure on her carotid. Okay?"

Vance nodded as Scott and Alex carefully lifted Abby from the floor to the backboard and strapped her down. Scott then looked over to him. "On the count of three Director. One…two…three." Scott then grabbed the nicked artery as Vance let go and scooted back out of their way.

The Director glanced over at the other two medics who were working on Gibbs. They had already lifted the injured agent to a backboard as well and had him strapped down.

"Are we ready to move?" Scott asked aloud. The other three medics nodded their affirmation. "Okay, lets go."

Vance watched as the four medics carefully lifted their victims, grabbed their gear and headed for the door. "Abby, I'll find you and Gibbs at the hospital. Tim should already be there. I still have to find DiNozzo and David first."

"Please find them Director," he heard Abby plead softly as she and Gibbs were taken out of the lab.

Vance stood in the middle of the lab, surveying the room closely for the first time. The lab was a complete disaster, so much glass having been smashed to the ground, acids and alkalis spilled near the windows, tables and shelves overturned all around.

The feeling of panic that had filled him when he realized that McGee was paralyzed, having to literally bring Gibbs back from the dead and keep Abby from bleeding to death began to catch up with him. He glanced down, seeing how much blood, Abby's blood, was covering his hands. His white shirt was a mess, dust, sweat and blood on every inch of the material. His hands shook as his stomach somersaulted violently before he found the nearest trash can and threw up.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N - I want to thank everyone who have been reviewing this story. I appreciate all the encouraging words you have been giving me. I do apologize for not updating sooner. Real life takes over sometimes and you get behind. So I hope an extra long chapter will help to smooth things over. **_

Jimmy parked the rental car and raced into the emergency entrance of the hospital. After Brenna's call, he had bolted out of the hotel and driven as fast as he dared to the hospital. He was so worried about his mentor and friend. He spied the nurses' desk and made his way over. He placed his hands on the desk, staring intently at nurse on call.

"Please, I'm here to see Doctor Donald Mallard. He was brought in about a half an hour ago."

The nurse looked up at the man standing in front of her. "May I ask who you are? Are you a relative?"

"I'm Jimmy Palmer, I'm his power of attorney. My wife Brenna is with him right now."

"Oh yes, she told me you were on your way. You can go on back. Dr. Mallard is in room number three," the nurse said, pressing a button so the door opened.

"Thank you!" Jimmy exclaimed, pulling away from the desk and running through the open door. He dodged a few carts, nurses and doctors as he made his way down the hallway. He checked every room before he skidded to a stop in front of room three. He cautiously opened the door, but before he could enter he was plowed into.

"Jimmy!" Brenna exclaimed, flying into her husband's arms. She had been watching for him, knowing it wouldn't take long for him to make it to the hospital. She had been in a state of panic ever since she had found Ducky lying on the beach near the water.

Jimmy wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of Brenna's head as he looked into the room. It was when he saw Ducky for the first time. A few stray tears fell down his face as he watched the doctors and nurses start IV's, taking blood for tests and tying him in for an EKG. He could feel Brenna's hot tears falling down her face and onto his shirt as she cried in his chest.

"Oh Jimmy! I was so scared," Brenna said, looking up into his worried eyes. He leaned down and kissed his bride. "I found him on the beach. He was lying there unconscious. His cell phone still open in his hand."

Jimmy smoothed Brenna's hair back as he looked again into the room. He could see that the doctor was checking tests results. "God baby, I am so sorry that you had to find him like that. But I'm glad he had a familiar face with him."

She looked up as a nurse left the room, "I just hope he'll be okay."

"Me too baby. I'm worried about Ducky and I'm terrified for the others. The only person I could reach was Abby and I still don't really know how anyone is in DC. And I have to be on a plane in two hours…"

Brenna put a finger on Jimmy's lips, "Breathe babe. It'll be okay. I'll stay here with Ducky and you go to DC. I don't mind."

He wrapped his arms around her tighter again as he replied, "I love you so much Brenna. You are my rock. I am so glad you're my wife."

They were still hugging when the doctor stepped out into the hall. He noticed Jimmy and Brenna standing near the door.

"How is he?" Jimmy asked the doctor, scared for Ducky.

"He's holding his own for now. He's had a serious myocardial infarction. It seems that it has been building for a little while. But it looks like he is through the worst of it. You can go in if you would like. We are getting ready to wake him up," the doctor replied, motioning for the newlywed couple to enter the room.

Jimmy and Brenna entered the room, holding hands. The doctor clapped his hands loudly, causing Ducky to start.

"Doctor Mallard, are you with us?"

"Am I in purgatory?" he asked, slurring his words slightly.

"You're in the hospital."

Ducky looked away, "Same thing."

"You've had a heart attack. Your lucky. Brenna Palmer found you and she and Jimmy have been here with you since you were brought in."

Ducky looked around, his eyes scanning the room until he found the Palmers. "Are they alright?" he asked, his voice low.

"Let's focus on you for now."

"Are…they…al…right?" Ducky asked, sliding the oxygen mask down, barely able to breath, but his deep distress for their friends evident. He locked eyes with his friend.

"I…I don't know. The only one I could reach was Abby, but she ended up hanging up on me," Jimmy replied, watching as his mentor's eyes slid shut, a single tear rolling down his face as the nurse returned the oxygen mask to his face.

Jimmy looked down when his phone started vibrating in his back pocket. He grabbed the phone and did a double take when he saw the caller ID. He hurriedly answered, walking away from the bed so as to not agitate Ducky any more.

"Director. I apologize for not getting back with your secretary sooner."

"_Its alright Jimmy. I know you and Dr. Mallard will be here as soon as you can."_

Jimmy left the room, running a hand through his hair before he replied, "Yeah that's the thing Director. Its going to be just a little longer. I didn't know if anyone called you or not, but Doctor Mallard had a heart attack." Jimmy heard the sharp intake of breath coming from the other side of the phone.

"_No, no one called me. How is he?"_

"Stable for now. My wife is going to stay with him. My flight leaves in less than two hours. It was the earliest flight I could get."

"_That's okay Jimmy. I understand. I will have a car waiting for you as soon as you land."_

"Thank you sir. How…how are the others?" Jimmy asked, petrified at what the answer was going to be.

"_I know you heard partly about Gibbs. He has a head injury, a severely broken finger and a piece of glass in his broken leg. He had a seizure before he stopped breathing. Believe me when I tell you he was breathing when I sent him and Abby to the hospital."_

"She told me about her broken arm."

"_That's not the only injury she had. She had a piece of glass embedded in her neck that nicked her carotid artery It shifted and she started bleeding profusely."_

"Oh my God," he whispered, finding a row of chairs nearby and sinking down in the closest one. He lowered his head into his hand and closed his eyes. "Is she okay?" He asked as Brenna walked up. She sat next to him and started rubbing his back.

"_She was still conscious and talking when they took her and Gibbs to the hospital. The paramedics think she's going to be okay."_

He sighed before he wrapped his arms around his wife as he continued, "What about the others?"

"_We haven't found Tony or Ziva yet. Tim should already be at the hospital."_

Jimmy squeezed Brenna tight as he asked, "What's wrong with Tim?"

He could hear the sigh again on the other side of the line, _"He was in the squad room when the bomb exploded and was thrown quite forcefully. Jimmy, he can't feel his legs."_

"Oh my God, he's paralyzed?" He asked, his voice breaking with emotion as he ran a hand through his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. Brenna's eyes widened as she saw tears falling down her husband's face. She hugged him closer. She had know Jimmy for a while, but this was the first time she has seen him cry.

"_Yes he is. But don't lose faith son. We have to be strong for all of them, Ducky included."_

"I know, your right. My flight is only supposed to be about an hour and a half, so I should be on the Navy Yard around 7:30," Jimmy replied, standing.

"_Okay Jimmy. I'll make sure the car is there so you can be escorted on the Yard."_

"Thanks Director. I'm going to check on Dr. Mallard before I head to the airport," Jimmy said, standing with Brenna as the doctor came out of the room.

"_Be careful son." _Vance responded before hanging up. Jimmy closed his phone before giving his undivided attention to the attending physician.

"We will be doing a few more tests on Dr. Mallard before we move him upstairs. By all accounts he is a very lucky man."

"Thank you doctor. My wife Brenna will be staying with him. I have to fly back to DC in about an hour and a half," Jimmy replied, taking Brenna's hand into his.

The doctor nodded, "That will be fine. Until we are ready to do the tests, you both can sit with him."

"Thank you," Brenna said, leading her husband aside as the doctor headed down the hallway. Jimmy collapsed into a nearby chair, sobs begging to rack his frame. "Oh Jimmy. Is it that bad?"

He looked up at her, his tear stained eyes speaking volumes. "Abby has a broken arm and a piece of glass in her neck, Gibbs has a broken leg and finger, head injury and glass embedded in his leg, Tim is paralyzed and the director said they still had not found Ziva and Tony. Its not good."

She sat down next to him, soothingly rubbing circles on his back and he leaned heavily against her and cried. Her heart was breaking for the man who was normally so strong, but was now showing is vulnerability and emotions that he tended to keep hidden beneath the surface.

A few minutes later, Jimmy straightened up and wiped the remaining tears away, taking in a deep cleansing breath. He then stood, silently taking Brenna's hand before leading her into Ducky's room to stay with him until he had to leave.

NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS* NCIS*NCIS*

Vance closed his phone before letting it fall into his back pocket. Talking to the M.E.'s assistant had been difficult, to say the least. Finding out Ducky had had a heart attack had nearly sent him over the edge. But he knew he still had two agents to find, resolve filling him. He left what was left of the forensic lab and made his way down the hallway. He made sure all emergency response teams would check all corners of the building without disturbing those who would never go home again or walk the halls of the agency.

He took a deep cleansing breath before carefully picking his way back to the staircase, noting the markings of the firefighters, paramedics and police officers that had already been down the hallway. He made it to the stairs and went up a floor. It was his guess that David and DiNozzo had been trying to evacuate the second floor, since McGee had been on the third and Gibbs had been in the basement.

He picked his way back up to the second floor, carefully opening the door. The smell of acrid smoke was more prominent on this floor than it had been on any other one. He guessed that it was because it was where they had a lot of offices. He noted check marks on the doors, grateful that some of the first responders had been working the floor already.

He stopped when he heard a faint noise, one that caught his already alert senses. He was standing near the stairs and the elevator shaft. A lightening bolt hit him as he realized the sound was coming from the elevator,

"They didn't," he mumbled to himself as he climbed over some of the ceiling to the elevator. He stood stock still when he heard low moaning coming from the other side of the doors. He tried to pry it open with his bare hands, which didn't work. He looked around wildly before his eyes fell on a sturdy piece of metal that had been ripped from the ceiling. He grabbed it and began to pry the doors open.

It took him close to fifteen minutes before he was able to get the doors open enough to look in. What he saw caused his heart to leap into his throat. The pulley system that brought the car up and down the shaft had been wrenched loose from the roof and had fallen on top of the car. The car was crushed to about half of its size and was settled on top of a mound of dirt.

A low rumble started before the ground beneath Vance's feet began to shake. He leapt back, not wanting to be caught in anything coming down. He watched in horror as the pile of debris the elevator car had been on shifted, causing the car to fall a few more feet down and sending the huge pulley careening toward him.

_**A/N - Ha ha! Left you at a cliff hanger again! Let's hope Vance gets out of the way and fast…..**_


End file.
